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Exclusive interview: Nonito "filipino flash" donaire
July 16, 2009
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: NONITO "FILIPINO FLASH" DONAIRE
By Ryan Burton
Fights at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas August 15th
Nonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire has been training hard for his Pinoy Power 2 headline bout against Rafael Concepcion for the WBA interm super flyweight title at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The Filipino Flash wants Jorge Arce or Fernando Montiel next! See what else he has to say in this exclusive interview with **********'s Ryan Burton.
**********: What is new with you?
Nonito Donaire: Right now I just have been sparring pretty good. I got in 8 rounds of sparring today and I wasn't even tired. I brought in this guy David Martinez to spar with me. He is a good friend of mine from Albuquerque who is helping me. I am just trying to be in the best possible shape for this fight in case it goes 12 rounds.
**********: When do you move your camp to Las Vegas?
ND: 2 weeks before the fight I will be out there. I will probably bring all the guys out with me. I will get some more sparring in and then the last week probably just sweat out the water.
**********: Now that you are moving up to super flyweight have you had to do anything different to make sure your power goes up with you?
ND: Not much really I have just been getting in shape and I am always sparring with bigger guys like at 126 you know so I am so used to the heavier weight class. Pretty much I have been building up the muscle around my shoulder and my back and on my legs. Just getting that explosiveness to be able to execute in whatever openings the guy gives me.
BT: I ask that because it seemed like Darchinyan didn't bring the same power when he moved up the few times he landed clean shots on Agbeko.
ND: The thing about Darchinyan is that he is not a very powerful puncher. He is heavy handed being that he will drain you as the fight goes on. You don't ever see Darchinyan ever knock anybody out with just one punch. I don't think there was a time when he was able to knock someone out that way so with that King Kong Abeko fought a beautiful game plan and he did what he had to do to beat the guy.
BT: What did you think of the fight being you were the first guy to give Darchinyan a loss and then you saw Abeko put on a clinic himself?
ND: That is it as you say. It was a beautiful fight for him. It was a rough fight because you get two fighters, one a southpaw and the other very unorthodox and awkward and you get feet tripping, headbutts and stuff like that. Abeko did his job avoiding the power punches while he throws his right hand and that was the key to winning because he didn't let Darchinyan counter with anything strong.
BT: How is life for you now that you have been at Top Rank awhile versus life at Gary Shaw Productions?
ND: It has been good. I mean Top Rank has taken care of us well. When we were out here with my wife and my team creating a public workout for everybody Top Rank heard about it and lent their support and brought their guys in and their film crew and photography crew showed up. That is how supportive they are with me and so far they have been taking good care of me.
BT: Is your brother Glenn looking to fight again?
ND: From what I heard he wants to get back to it. He has had his opportunity and he wants to get back in there. Being a fighter that is always the thing about fighters that you can never leave the fighting game until you can't do it anymore. He wants to get back in there and he has started to train and all that stuff.
BT: A lot of people say you are the heir apparent to the crown of Filipino boxing when Pac Man retires. What do you think of that and how do you respond to that type of pressure?
ND: I am honored in the first place for them to look at me that way. At times before early on when they are started talking about that stuff it was really big pressure but I have learned to put it aside and move forward and use that to help push me. Knowing that everybody looks at me that way I know I have to perform with that mentality. I train harder than before. I train really hard because of that pressure and I use it for motivation.
BT: You and Manny are completely different people. You may both have the same heritage but Manny is quiet and unassuming. I am not saying you are ****y but I wouldn't call you quiet and unassuming.
ND: I think part of it is I grew up here (USA) and he grew up over there (Philipines). He is confident and I am also confident but if somebody tells me I am going to fight this guy of course I am going to say I am going to beat him. If someone says are you going to beat this guy of course I say yes. I have that confidence in myself and I don't try to sugarcoat anything as far as putting myself down or playing mind tricks on myself saying that there is a big chance that he can beat me blah blah blah and things like that. Of course I am going to say I am going to do my best and I am going to win. I am going to train as hard as I can. Mostly I just say things in a positve perspective for me.
BT: Who do you want after this fight with Rafael Concepcion?
ND: A couple names on my radar are Montiel and Arce so those are the guys I want to be in the mix with at the end of the year. Hopefully we can make it happen. They are great champions and great fighters. They are legends in their own weight classes and time and they have that capability. They are still champions and they are capable of destroying anyone out there especially with their heart and their toughness. Those are the guys I want to mix it up with because I know they are tough fights and I want to prove myself and prove that I belong with those elite champions.
BT: Do you have a message for the fans?
ND: I just want to thank everyone for their support and especially the people that came to by public work out and who visit my website filipinoflash.com. I am glad they are getting to know me and reading my blogs and watching my videos. Thanks for the support and watch my fight on August 15th at the Hard Rock in Vegas and if you can't make it please order the pay per view of the fight because I think it is going to be a good fight. Concepcion is a rough fighter.
BT: Thanks for your time and good luck in the fight.
ND: Anytime. Thank you again Ryan.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: NONITO "FILIPINO FLASH" DONAIRE
By Ryan Burton
Fights at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas August 15th
Nonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire has been training hard for his Pinoy Power 2 headline bout against Rafael Concepcion for the WBA interm super flyweight title at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The Filipino Flash wants Jorge Arce or Fernando Montiel next! See what else he has to say in this exclusive interview with **********'s Ryan Burton.
**********: What is new with you?
Nonito Donaire: Right now I just have been sparring pretty good. I got in 8 rounds of sparring today and I wasn't even tired. I brought in this guy David Martinez to spar with me. He is a good friend of mine from Albuquerque who is helping me. I am just trying to be in the best possible shape for this fight in case it goes 12 rounds.
**********: When do you move your camp to Las Vegas?
ND: 2 weeks before the fight I will be out there. I will probably bring all the guys out with me. I will get some more sparring in and then the last week probably just sweat out the water.
**********: Now that you are moving up to super flyweight have you had to do anything different to make sure your power goes up with you?
ND: Not much really I have just been getting in shape and I am always sparring with bigger guys like at 126 you know so I am so used to the heavier weight class. Pretty much I have been building up the muscle around my shoulder and my back and on my legs. Just getting that explosiveness to be able to execute in whatever openings the guy gives me.
BT: I ask that because it seemed like Darchinyan didn't bring the same power when he moved up the few times he landed clean shots on Agbeko.
ND: The thing about Darchinyan is that he is not a very powerful puncher. He is heavy handed being that he will drain you as the fight goes on. You don't ever see Darchinyan ever knock anybody out with just one punch. I don't think there was a time when he was able to knock someone out that way so with that King Kong Abeko fought a beautiful game plan and he did what he had to do to beat the guy.
BT: What did you think of the fight being you were the first guy to give Darchinyan a loss and then you saw Abeko put on a clinic himself?
ND: That is it as you say. It was a beautiful fight for him. It was a rough fight because you get two fighters, one a southpaw and the other very unorthodox and awkward and you get feet tripping, headbutts and stuff like that. Abeko did his job avoiding the power punches while he throws his right hand and that was the key to winning because he didn't let Darchinyan counter with anything strong.
BT: How is life for you now that you have been at Top Rank awhile versus life at Gary Shaw Productions?
ND: It has been good. I mean Top Rank has taken care of us well. When we were out here with my wife and my team creating a public workout for everybody Top Rank heard about it and lent their support and brought their guys in and their film crew and photography crew showed up. That is how supportive they are with me and so far they have been taking good care of me.
BT: Is your brother Glenn looking to fight again?
ND: From what I heard he wants to get back to it. He has had his opportunity and he wants to get back in there. Being a fighter that is always the thing about fighters that you can never leave the fighting game until you can't do it anymore. He wants to get back in there and he has started to train and all that stuff.
BT: A lot of people say you are the heir apparent to the crown of Filipino boxing when Pac Man retires. What do you think of that and how do you respond to that type of pressure?
ND: I am honored in the first place for them to look at me that way. At times before early on when they are started talking about that stuff it was really big pressure but I have learned to put it aside and move forward and use that to help push me. Knowing that everybody looks at me that way I know I have to perform with that mentality. I train harder than before. I train really hard because of that pressure and I use it for motivation.
BT: You and Manny are completely different people. You may both have the same heritage but Manny is quiet and unassuming. I am not saying you are ****y but I wouldn't call you quiet and unassuming.
ND: I think part of it is I grew up here (USA) and he grew up over there (Philipines). He is confident and I am also confident but if somebody tells me I am going to fight this guy of course I am going to say I am going to beat him. If someone says are you going to beat this guy of course I say yes. I have that confidence in myself and I don't try to sugarcoat anything as far as putting myself down or playing mind tricks on myself saying that there is a big chance that he can beat me blah blah blah and things like that. Of course I am going to say I am going to do my best and I am going to win. I am going to train as hard as I can. Mostly I just say things in a positve perspective for me.
BT: Who do you want after this fight with Rafael Concepcion?
ND: A couple names on my radar are Montiel and Arce so those are the guys I want to be in the mix with at the end of the year. Hopefully we can make it happen. They are great champions and great fighters. They are legends in their own weight classes and time and they have that capability. They are still champions and they are capable of destroying anyone out there especially with their heart and their toughness. Those are the guys I want to mix it up with because I know they are tough fights and I want to prove myself and prove that I belong with those elite champions.
BT: Do you have a message for the fans?
ND: I just want to thank everyone for their support and especially the people that came to by public work out and who visit my website filipinoflash.com. I am glad they are getting to know me and reading my blogs and watching my videos. Thanks for the support and watch my fight on August 15th at the Hard Rock in Vegas and if you can't make it please order the pay per view of the fight because I think it is going to be a good fight. Concepcion is a rough fighter.
BT: Thanks for your time and good luck in the fight.
ND: Anytime. Thank you again Ryan.
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